Waiting for Truth
by Aethra Caelis
Summary: Kaitou Kid has stolen something from Conan and has second thoughts about giving it back.
1. Default Chapter

Waiting for Truth

**A Detective Conan fanfic by Willow-chan 2001**

Notes: Conan encounters Kid, only to find out that he has stolen "something" special from him and has no intentions of giving it back.

Chapter 1:

The school bell rang to announce the end of the last lesson of the day, at least, for Ran and Sonoko.

"Oh, please Ran!" the short-haired girl glued herself onto the long-haired one, "You really have to come over, just for a teensy-weensy while?"

"No, Sonoko! I still have karate practice!" Ran tried to pull loose of her friend's iron grip, "Another time, ok?"

"Then I'll wait for you! I'll study while you practice – oh! Or maybe," she let go and clapped her hands, "I'll pick up Conan from school! What do you say? We'll be studying together and at lest you won't have to worry your pretty little head about it!" Sonoko tapped her friend's nose, "I bet he'd love to have some snacks and play games at my place!"

Ran smiled and snickered, "Since you're willing to bother yourself, why not?" but she thought that Sonoko only wanted to go to the karate class because of their substitute instructor who was so _bishounen_. She turned her heel and looked up the school's clock, "Conan must be on his way now, you might catch him --"

"Then off you go! You'll have to hurry or you'll be late, and I gotta run and catch a cute kid! _Bai-bai_!" Sonoko spoke at the speed of Mach 3 and ran off.

She went past the field where the trackers were warming up and the cheering squad were practicing their routines, out in the temperate, spring afternoon. It was almost summer and the days were longer.

In the dressing room, almost all the other girls were almost done. She hurriedly changed into her sports attire: aerobic shorts and sports bra underneath a white karate _gi_. She tied her hair, kicked her shoes off and trotted to the _tatami_.

She was puzzled at why Sonoko really insisted that they go to her house. Keep breathing regular. It was nobody's birthday today, there wasn't even a special occasion in sight! Unless of course, Sonoko's going to show off a brand new dress that she will wear for an affair her parents are attending to and she was tagged along. Yes, that must be it.

But that 's quite unusual.

After the custom warm-up, the karate team did exercises to increase their speed. Ran executed perfect kicks and punches. She dreamed of learning kung-fu, kick-boxing, judo, and all sorts of martial arts so she can beat Shinichi to pulp, making sure he would never move away from her again… the board that her trainer was holding up didn't break.

"You seem stressed, Mouri-san. Is there anything the matter?"

She huffed and bowed at the instructor, "_Iie, sensei_. _Gomen-nasai._"

"_Hai_. You should try and relax a bit. Look." He pointed to the opening gym door, and in came Conan and Sonoko. Ran smiled as they waved to her. They sat down at some bleachers and watched Ran kick some butt!

***

"Sonoko! What do you really want us to do?"

Huge, oaken double doors were shut. Steps directed to a flight of carved carpeted stairs."

"Conan, the study room's over there with a computer and a mini-fridge. Do what you want over there. If you need anything, just pull the thick red cord you see near the desks."

"_Hai_ Sonoko-neesan!" *I wonder what they're up to?* Conan trotted to the direction pointed out by their hostess.

"And you, Miss Mouri, you come with me."

A while later, in Sonoko's room:

"Sonoko, you really shouldn't, I swear!"

The short-haired girl pulled out a shine, wine-red gown, "You'll look good in this one! Your lips will be accentuated with a matching shade of lipstick!"

Ran's smile twitched.

"Oh, I love this olive-green one! This is just like what the Western actress wore as she was featured in a music video! You'd look so into nature with this one with your brown hair!"

The gown was tossed into a growing pile on Sonoko's bed.

"But, Sonoko --"

"Silence! An artist is at work! Let me see here," Sonoko pretended to be in deep thought, finger on chin, and pulled out another gown, "you'd look elegant and sophisticated with this silvery gray one, or maybe," she took out another garment, "_femme fatale_ with this black leathery one," she lifted a corner of the dress, and it seemed to have a large gap in it, "with a sexy slit too!"

Ran tried to protest, "But these ones even still have price tags on them!" and she almost fainted at the prices she saw.

"And finally, this classy white one," Sonoko laid out about ten gowns on her bed, "all of these Ran, are yours!"

"But, Sonoko, I can't accept these!"

"Oh, yes you can! In fact, you're going to wear one of them right now, and I'll fix you up!"

"Why?"

"You're too much of a tomboy, and I feel like playing dress-up, and I never got to thank you for defending me against the bullies back in primary school!"

Ran sighed and sweat-dropped, "You're weird, Sonoko!"

***

A while later:

"I can't believe it's Ran-neechan!" Conan stood in awe *Man, she looks great! How I wish I were Shinichi so we could go out on a date right now!*

Sonoko clapped her hands, "I never thought I can do it, but I did!" She whipped out a camera and snapped pictures, "Oh, come on, Ran! Smile!"

"The make-up's killing me!" Ran's skin looked as if she stepped out of a Renaissance painting. Here eyes were brought out with brown eyeliner and mascara. Her lips were painted with a beigy, reddish pink shade and she wore the white gown with a mist-like shawl about her shoulders. Her hair had been braided and was put about her head like a crown. Her ears had diamond pendants and so did her fine necklace.

Conan was so mesmerized that he walked towards Ran in a trance. He didn't know that there were high-heeled shoes lurking about. He stepped on them, lost his balance and fell on his head.

***

"Sonoko! Look what you did!"

"Well," Sonoko's lips were quivering, "you should've work the shoes in the first place!"

Suddenly the French windows threw open, letting in a gust of cool air blow in.

"Wh-what's that?" Sonoko stood by Conan, "R-Ran, please stay here with us." Her friend was walking towards the window. Sonoko barely had time to scream as Ran was whisked away by a white figure, and what replaced her friend was a rolled-up parchment with a red ribbon around it, veiled by Ran's shawl.

"Ran?" Conan rubbed his head and adjusted his spectacles.

"Conan-kun! You're awake! Ran has been kidnapped and the kidnapper left a scroll by the window!" Sonoko had tears in her eyes, and held the little boy's shoulders with shaking hands.

*What? Ran?* Conan quickly went and picked up the scroll, *I know this style…* and read it:

_I figure that you must already know,_

_What I have taken from this place;_

_I see that grim expression you show,_

_Carved deeply into your face;_

_I have no puzzles, no riddles to guess,_

_Just go your house on the 2nd at midnight_

_What can I give more or give less?_

_I know that you will come right._

_No crimes, no mysteries, no cases unsolved,_

_You, Edogawa, known as super sleuth_

_For this, only us three involved_

_And show us what you call, 'One truth'._

"How are we going to tell this to her dad?" Sonoko nervously bit her fingernail. Conan, despite the shock, quickly came up with a solution, "I'll tell him, but you must play along in case he asks for you. I hope you don't mind if I stay with you that late at night?" *Though, of course, I can't afford you being in the way, but that can be remedied*

"I don't mind, Conan-kun. I'll just get this room fixed and get us some dinner. You can use my phone near the bedside lamp." Sonoko went out, adjusted his bow-tie and dialed the Mouri number. Kogoro's grumpy voice answered, "Uh, hello, _Otousan_?… _Hai_, I'm here at Sonoko's. I sprained my ankle during training and I can barely move!… I'm sleeping over… ok, ok, I'll be back tomorrow. Conan's with me… ok, bye."

Conan sighed and put the phone down. It was the nick of time as Sonoko had a maid roll in cart full of food. *Classy!* Only then did he notice a small table with four chairs at one corner of the room. As the maid put the food on the table, Sonoko and Conan sat down.


	2. 

Waiting for Truth

**A Detective Conan fanfic by Willow-chan 2001**

Chapter 2:

"I don't know why, Conan-kun," Sonoko sighed as she set her cup of tea down, "I usually faint or start screaming at this kind of situation, but as of now…" Conan sipped from his cup, trying to look as calm as possible. He barely listened to Sonoko's words, his mind being too preoccupied with the thought of Ran in the hands of Kaitou Kid. Why did he want the truth, since he already knows?

"… I feel as if Shinichi's here."

Conan's cup slipped from his hands, clattering on the saucer, it's contents spilling on his clothes, "Oh, uh…" he was caught off-guard upon hearing his own name. Sonoko rushed to him with a napkin, helping him out of his vest, "Poor darling… you even dress like him! You also have a striking resemblance with that heartbreaker!" She brushed some strands off his forehead. It really bothered Conan how out-of-character Sonoko was being *Maybe she's different when she's at home.*

"I guess we should get a bath running and put you in some fresh clothes. You can borrow some from my little cousin. Come now."

Conan sighed. Things were flowing so slowly. It was freaking him out! How he wised that it was already midnight and get things over with…

In no time, Conan found himself in the condensed version of the clothes he wore (along with a baseball cap) during the night Ran broke her shoelaces. "Conan-kun, are you going to sleep?" The little boy shook his head, "Even if I tried, I wouldn't be able to. It's not far from midnight anyway." Sonoko leaned on a nearby chaise-lounge, "I think I'll just get a shut-eye… wake me up," she yawned, "when you're leaving… I'll show him," she slumped further into the chair, hugging a teddy bear, "not to take Ran away from Shinichi…"

Conan smirked and read the scroll all over again *Since when Kaitou became so poetic?*

Time seemed to pass like mere seconds, as the clock was getting close to midnight, "_Gomen_, Sonoko." He aimed his dart-watch and shot Sonoko with the device as he noticed her stir. Sneaking out into the hallway, he grabbed his super-shoes, ran out the garden, and climbed up and out the short gate of the large Suzuki household.

He strode around several blocks to arrive at his home. He sighed. It had been quite some time since he last came in that house. He pushed the gate and it opened with a tine squeak, indicating it had been oiled. The garden looked well-kept *Kid really bothers himself sometimes…* The front door towered over him as he reached for the knob and it gave way noiselessly. The house seemed well kept, as if he never left it.

He turned towards his right and opened another door, leading to the living room. He stopped abruptly as he saw himself, as in, Shinichi Kudou, sitting with Ran by an unlit fireplace having tea!

"Conan! You're here!" Ran got up, still looking as beautiful as she did when Sonoko fixed her up. She picked him up, just like she would to a baby, sat back onto her place, putting him on her lap, "Conan, I bet you already know your Shinichi-niisan," despite the joyous tone, there was a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

Conan knew that Kid was acting, yet again.

Kaitou laughed, "Conan-kun, you really don't know how lucky you are; Ran is such a fine woman who deserves nothing but the best!"

Ran giggled. She took Conan's hat off, kissed his hair and ruffled his fringes, "The resemblance! I just can't believe it!"

"Like you told me, Ran," Kid's eyes looked defiantly at Conan's, "You were quite certain that I shrank back to my childhood, and yet Conan would prove otherwise. Smart lad! But you see, Ran-san," Kid got up from his seat, pulled a white cloth out of nowhere and covered himself with it. As it came off, Kid revealed his true identity, "uncertain as you are, your guess is worth a good million dollar answer."

"Sh-Shinichi," Ran's grip tightened around Conan's little shoulders. She didn't sound grieved, that she was deceived, but she was rather angry, frustrated, unable to grasp the truth.

"Why don't you have some tea, Conan-kun?" Kid whipped out a tea-cup from nowhere, "Why don't you show us the 'one truth'?"

Conan hopped off Ran's lap and stood by the table, getting the tea-cup. Using his magic tricks, Kid revealed Shinichi's usual attire of coat and tie, "Clothes are ready when you are!" The young boy felt Ran's questioning, yet hopeful gaze on him. He tossed off his glasses, the gadget landing with a soft thump on the carpet.

He felt his heart pound in his ears, eyeing the warm shade of  swirling liquid in the cup. He bravely took several sips of the surprisingly cold tea.

In a few seconds, the tea-cup and saucer fell muted clatter on the floor. He fell onto his knees, a he felt a familiar pain surge in him. As the climax of the nerve-wracking torture climbed to his head, he blocked out.

***

"Conan? Conan!"

*Ran?*

"Ran! He's coming around!"

*Sonoko? What is she doing here? And why are they still calling me Conan?*

He opened his eyes. He no longer recognized the proverbial roof of his own living room. He heard the soft chink of plates, telling him that a meal was being served. He brought his hands to his face, easing the slowly dying ache, looking for his glasses. His hands: they were still small. He figured out that he was in Sonoko's room as he sat up and looked around.

He looked to his right as Ran put a hand to his forehead, "You ok?"

He just blinked, the whole ordeal about Kaitou Kid… "What happened?"

"You tripped over the shoes on the floor and you hit your head on the floor. You were out cold for about 45 minutes." Ran handed him his glasses. She was still done up, white dress and all, but the shawl was gone.

"Ran-chan! I think you'd better change now, so we can have dinner here in my room! By the way, Conan-kun," Sonoko was as giddy as always, "Kaitou Kid left another riddle! It was dreamy as he tossed this through my window and he blew me a kiss! I wonder how he knows my address!" She handed the scroll to Conan. Ran immediately grabbed it, "You're not going to give him a headache now, are you? _Otousan_ can do this."

Sonoko let out a love-sick sigh, getting the scroll and rubbing it against her cheek, "It even smells of him! Ran, he's the right man for me!" Pirouetting and skipping, she almost knocked the plates out of the maid's cart, "_Gomen-ne, neesan_!" 

Conan and Ran sweat-dropped. The little boy put his glasses back on and scrambled out of bed, "Ran-neechan! I'm hungry! I'll solve that riddle after eating! Kid can wait."

Ran shrugged her shoulders, "I'll just call Dad. 'Join you guys in a minute!"

Conan sighed. Looks like the truth will also have to wait… just a tad longer.

THE END

Notes:

- There goes my 2nd DC fic! Disclaimers applied.

- I like Kaitou Kid. I was about to make it a little more violent but it didn't suit him. It think it's just fine!


End file.
